


Sweetest Surrender

by Nera_Solani



Category: Hannibal (TV), Hannibal Lecter Series - All Media Types
Genre: 5+1 Things, Character Death, Chocolate, Dark Will Graham, Episode AU: s02e13 Mizumono, First Kiss, Fix-It, Hannibal Lecter Loves Will Graham, Hannibal Lecter is a Cannibal, Hannibal Lecter is the Chesapeake Ripper, Hannibal accidentally fixes the timeline with chocolates, M/M, Murder Husbands, Will Graham Loves Hannibal Lecter, Wooing, courting, idk what to tell you, lots of chocolate, season 2 fix it technically, sensual eating, that's it that's the fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:00:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29472099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nera_Solani/pseuds/Nera_Solani
Summary: People keep giving Will Hershey’s chocolate but hehatesit. Even as a kid he hated it, but he didn’t get anything else because it’s cheap. So now everyone thinks he hates chocolate in general and maybe he does, who knows, he has kind of given up on trying anyway.But the one Hannibal gave him? Incredible. Will can’t get enough of it (and maybe also of Hannibal).orFives times Will received chocolate and one time he got something even sweeter.
Relationships: Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter
Comments: 24
Kudos: 254





	Sweetest Surrender

**Author's Note:**

> This might be a little late but I think it still counts as Valentine's fic. Right? Right. Took me over a year to finish, it was intended as a Valentine's fic for 2020 ffs, but hey, it's finally done lol  
> Special thanks to my friend and beta reader [Oriana](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oriana1990/pseuds/Oriana1990) (ily fren) and also to [FeatheredStag](https://twitter.com/FeatheredStag) and Dia (diamondsuits) for helping me figure out the plot and have it make sense!  
> Having said that, I hope you enjoy!
> 
> PS: Abigail is deliberately not being mentioned in this fic as she isn't really plot relevant. Which means she can be either alive or dead, depending what you (the reader) prefer. Schrödinger's Abigail, if you will ;)

_“I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,_ _  
_ _in secret, between the shadow and the soul.”_

— Pablo Neruda

**1**

The first time it happened, it had been Will’s birthday. When he came to work, he found a packet of Hershey’s on his desk and frowned. Turning to look around, he found Jimmy Price watching him expectantly, trying and failing to appear nonchalant. Will stared at the chocolate for a moment as though it had personally offended him. It was the same brand his father had always gotten him as a child. He hated them. Had always hated them. But this father wouldn’t buy anything better because it was just too expensive and they couldn’t afford such a ‘luxury’. Will had never bothered to try more expensive brands since. He figured the difference couldn’t be that big anyway.

He frowned at the bag of chocolate on his desk once more, picked it up and tossed it into the trash. Jimmy’s jaw dropped.

“These are perfectly good, you can’t just throw them away!”

“Fine, then take them back, but I don’t want them.”

“Why not?” He sounded less affronted and more curious now.

“I never liked that stuff. Hated it since I was a kid, so just… don’t do that again okay?”

He stared at him for a moment, then shrugged. “Alright. I always considered people who hate chocolate a myth, but apparently not. I don’t judge.”

And with that, the topic was over and Jimmy fished the bag out of Will’s trash can before he left.

~◊~

**2**

The second time was many months later. Will rubbed a hand over his tired face as he stepped into his office. His head was pounding and the nightmares kept getting worse. When he looked down at his desk, he found something there that didn’t belong here, a small box, delicately wrapped with a beautiful, dark red bow. Will’s brow furrowed as he stepped closer to inspect the box. This basically reeked of Hannibal, who else could possibly tie a bow that looked this perfect?

Cautiously Will opened the silky bow and lifted the lid off the box, only to find it filled with small — knowing Hannibal, most definitely handmade — chocolates, each of them a tiny piece of edible art. They were almost too pretty to be eaten.

He stared at them for a moment longer before deciding that it would be worth the try, if Hannibal made them, they couldn’t be so bad. Besides, after all the trouble Hannibal must’ve gone through to make these, it would be rude to discard them like he would do with cheap supermarket chocolate. And so he picked one out of the many different ones, lifting it to his mouth and taking a careful bite. It was sweet, but not too sweet, something fruity tickled his palate and a rich taste he couldn’t quite define sat heavy on his tongue. He couldn’t stop a moan from slipping from his throat as his eyes closed on their own accord. This was worlds away from the cheap chocolate he had learned to hate as a child, this was... _heavenly_. Sitting down on his desk, he bit into another one. This one was dark and sweet, with the rich bitterness of a good, strong coffee. Will let it melt in his mouth and he decided that, yes, he did like chocolate, at least this chocolate.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Beverly Katz standing in the door to his office, watching him with a raised eyebrow. He froze.

“How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough.” She smirked, eyebrow climbing impossibly higher. “I thought you hate chocolate.”

“I never said that, I only said I hated the cheap ones everyone kept getting me.” He grimaced. “The rest was a misunderstanding on Jimmy’s part, I just never bothered correcting him.”

“Yeah sure. Guys, come here, you'll wanna see this!”

Will sighed and put the half eaten chocolate into his mouth that he’d been holding the entire time and which had started to melt between his fingers. Price and Zeller came just at the right time to see him lick his fingers.

“Look who suddenly discovered his love for chocolate,” Beverly said grinning smugly.

Jimmy’s eyes grew big, Brian just raised an eyebrow.

“Oh shut up, don’t you have anything better to do than stare at me like a zoo animal?” Will snapped.

Bev raised her hands placatingly. “Sorry, I just thought this is a noteworthy change of heart, is all.”

Will rolled his eyes so hard, it caused his headache to flare up. “I did not have a change of heart, I still hate Hershey’s. These are just... better.”

Now Zeller looked intrigued. “They do look really good, where did you get them?”

Price was eyeing his chocolates suspiciously like he wanted to try one and Will found he didn’t like that at all. He slowly and pointedly closed the lid of the box and said “Dr. Lecter left them here for me.”

Price appeared visibly disappointed when Will closed the box. The situation was diffused when Jack bellowed from somewhere outside the room.

The group in Will’s doorway dissipated and he was alone in his office again. He put the box down on his desk, dragged a hand over his face, dry swallowed an aspirin and prepared to leave, but casting another glance at the box, he stopped in his tracks. After staring at it for a moment, he put into his top drawer, the one that he could lock. He knew it was childish, but he just really didn’t want to share Hannibal’s special gift.

~◊~

**3**

Will had only just got out of the BSHCI and was coming home for the first time in weeks. After he had unlocked the door and left the keys in a bowl, he noticed something peculiar perched on his kitchen table. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be another box of chocolates. Will stared at it for a moment, processing the thought that the Chesapeake Ripper broke into his house and left him chocolates there. It was absurd, but probably not the weirdest occurrence in his life. He reached out and dragged a finger across the velvety box, debating whether to throw it away — maybe even burn it — or not. There was a good chance that the filling, maybe even the chocolate itself, contained parts of Hannibal’s victims.

He picked up the box firmly, deciding to throw it away, but something made him halt mid-movement. The iron grip on the box faltered. He’d eaten them before, right? They were delicious, no matter the contents. It couldn’t be that bad to try one. Right? Just one. Right.

Half an hour later the box was completely empty.

~◊~

**4**

They had cooked together and now they were eating together. The company was nice and the food was excellent as ever, human flesh notwithstanding. Will took another bite and savoured it. It didn’t taste wrong or immoral, it just tasted like meat. Part of him wasn’t sure what the fuss was about.

“I have to say, Will, your choice of pig was immaculate,” Hannibal said, a smile in his voice as he finished his meal.

Will couldn’t help returning the smile; Hannibal always had that effect on him. It was probably wrong to enjoy this as much as he did, but it was just a role. He was acting, right?

When Hannibal had mentioned that the meat tasted frightened, Will had paused. If he could taste Randall’s emotional state when he died, what was stopping him from tasting that this was clearly not Freddy Lounds? She was vegetarian, Tier was very much not. That would have an impact on taste, wouldn’t it? Will faltered. He had to tell Hannibal the truth, that was the only way to keep his cover and his trust. If he told him now, Hannibal would be even more certain that Will was on his side, it would only benefit his mission. Jack, however, would never sanction this, so Will had to keep it a secret.

“Will? Is something wrong?” Hannibal sounded concerned and Will almost choked out a laugh.

He finished his last bite, sighed and decided to better get it over with.“Yes. I-,“ a pause, “I haven’t been completely honest with you.”

Hannibal was sitting stock still, eyes boring into him. There was no way back now.

“Freddie isn’t dead. Jack is hiding her as a plan for me to gain your trust and have you incriminate yourself. It’s a setup.” He stared at his empty plate, waiting for Hannibal to react.

There was a long moment of silence in which Will wondered if he was going to be Hannibal’s next elaborate display. Part of him wouldn’t mind, they were always rather beautiful.

When Hannibal finally spoke again, his voice sounded just a little more guarded, “I appreciate your honesty, Will. I really do.” He paused. “But would you mind telling me what we were eating then?”

At this, Will couldn’t hold back a snort. With a grin on his face, he answered, “A predator.”

Hannibal’s eyebrows ticked up slightly. “Tier?”

Will gave a nod.

“The flavour did have a strange carnivorous touch.”

Will laughed, “I did wonder why you hadn’t said anything.”

“I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt,” Hannibal smiled slightly, “as it turns out, rightfully so.”

Will swallowed tightly. Why did this betrayal suddenly taste so sour?

“I want to give you something, Will.” Hannibal said, standing up and leaving for the kitchen, only to return with a small, black box with a blood red ribbon around it. He sat back down and handed it to Will. “It’s a gift. Consider it a token of my appreciation.”

Will knew what was in that box and it brought a bright smile onto his face.

“I heard you have acquired quite the taste for them.”

Will scoffed, “They’re the best I’ve ever had. How did you know?”

“The first time was admittedly a shot in the dark. But Mister Price was quite talkative about your obvious enjoyment of them.”

“Of course,” Will said with a chuckle. He opened the bow and removed the lid from the box, surveying the selection. Hannibal varied the flavours every time, always keeping it a surprise. Will picked out a dark one, with a delicate swirl of red chocolate on top and put it into his mouth. The flavour was rich and sweet, with a hint of bitterness and Will let out a low hum of pleasure around it. Hannibal watched him intently. The filling most definitely contained people, but Will found he didn’t care anymore.

As he opened his eyes again, he noticed Hannibal staring at him with a pleased smile on his face. It was quiet, the world had narrowed to just them. When they made eye contact, Will noticed a strange urge to lean across the table and kiss his cannibal. He squashed that thought.

~◊~

**5**

The dinner with Hannibal and Jack was tonight. Will had talked them both into doing it earlier, because Prurnell was getting suspicious and would likely interfere. Time was working against him. Only a few more hours and he still didn’t know on whose side he was truly standing.

Will had put on his best suit and arrived a few minutes early. Hannibal opened the door with a smile and Will found himself smiling with him.

“Come in, dinner is almost ready.”

He led Will into the dining room and Will took the offered seat. They shared a look and Will wondered if he would be capable of betraying his personal monster. But the moment was broken by another knock on the door.

“Ah, that will be Jack.”

Hannibal’s person suit slipped back on seamlessly as he went to answer.

Will fumbled his glasses out of his pocket and put them on, suddenly scared to be seen. He peripherally heard Jack and Hannibal exchanging pleasantries, Jack having brought a bottle of wine out of faux politeness, before Jack sat down next to Will and Hannibal moved back into the kitchen. Will’s heart was pounding. If it pounded hard enough, maybe Jack would hear it, Will thought.

He was pulled back to reality when Hannibal glided into the room, platters of appetisers in his hands, serving one to each of them. He was seated opposite to Will, just like the last time they ate together. Will’s heart pounded faster. How could he do this, how could he choose? How could he choose between the right thing and a life with Hannibal? It was a testament to just how fucked up he was that this was even a question.

Jack smiled pleasantly, faked, as Hannibal wished them bon appetit. Nobody touched their food. Everything was silent except for Will’s furious heartbeat. He was almost sure they could hear it.

He looked at Jack and the man gave him an almost imperceptible nod, an unspoken signal between them. It was now or never. But Will couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t do anything but sit there, frozen, indecisive. He glanced at Hannibal and was almost overwhelmed with the openness in his expression, a barely visible smile, a signal of his own. Will’s heartbeat sped up, time seemed to slow almost to a halt, he let his eyes wander over the decorated table and spotted them. A small metal _étagère_ with chocolates sitting on each plate. Will almost smiled at the sight of them, recalling his last dinner with Hannibal, the understanding between them and the closeness he’d felt. He recalled the desire to kiss him and the pleasure on Hannibal’s face at watching Will eat his gifts. And that’s when Will realised what the chocolates really were. They were part of a courting. A promise. A possible future. As he looked at these chocolates, perched innocently on the intricately decorated table, he knew that he’d already made his decision a while ago, when he continued to accept Hannibal’s gifts.

Will’s heartbeat slowed as time sped up again and he looked at Jack who seemed to have noticed Hannibal’s signal as well and was about ready to draw the gun in the inside of his jacket, but Will couldn’t let him do that, could he? He wasn’t a spectator anymore, he was ready to be a participant. As if on reflex, he grabbed the nearest knife and rammed it through Jack’s hand, nailing it to the table. Jack’s eyes were wide and stunned at Will’s betrayal. Full of pain. Will’s heartbeat had never been so calm.

Hannibal got up from his seat, serving knife in hand, and cut Jack’s throat from behind in a clean, well-practiced motion. They held Jack down to his chair as a unit while he struggled, spilling his life force over his chest and the plate in front of him. When it was finally over and he went limp, Will let go of him and wiped the blood off his hands with a napkin. Hannibal looked proud.

“I-.” Will stammered, not sure what to say, not even sure this was real.

“It’s alright, Will. You chose me, that’s all that matters.” There was a smile on his face and Will found himself returning it.

When Will’s brain caught up with the present, he got up and said “We should leave. I suppose there’s not much of a point in getting rid of evidence.” They both looked at the body still seated at the table in a fine suit.

“No, I suppose not,” Hannibal replied with a smile in his voice.

Will took off his blood splattered glasses and placed them neatly on the table next to Jack’s speared hand. He wouldn’t need them anymore. Then he threw another glance at the chocolates, still sitting unharmed on the _étagère_. Jack’s blood didn’t reach them.

Hannibal noticed the look Will was giving them and said, “I still have an empty box in the kitchen, we could take them with us if you wish.”

Will looked up at Hannibal, for the first time without lies between them and smiled, dark and promising. “It would be a shame to let them go to waste.”

The look Hannibal gave him then almost made him shiver.

“I’ll get my things from the car, my dogs are taken care of and I left a note for Alana in case I don’t come back.”

Hannibal’s head tilted to the side and he sounded smug when he said, “You really planned for all eventualities, didn’t you?”

Will laughed dryly. “I suppose I made my decision a while ago, I just didn’t know it yet.”

Then he washed his hands and grabbed the bag with his most important belongings from his car while Hannibal packed up the chocolates. Together they walked to the spot where Hannibal’s second car was hidden, the one he used to transport the bodies and other things for his displays. Hannibal had already stashed a travel bag within. All they had left to do was get in and drive.

Will didn’t look back.

~◊~

**+1**

The factory was, for the lack of a better term, beautiful. Glass corridors led through the production halls, lined with stainless steel tasting-stations, and everything smelled of high quality chocolate. They were somewhere in rural Austria, the news of their escape not quite having reached Europe just yet. If Will was completely honest, he didn’t really care at the moment; the way Hannibal’s lips wrapped around the porcelain tasting-spoon was simply too distracting. Not that much time had passed since their last dinner with Jack, but Will wasn’t sure he could take the tension any longer. However, their visit to the chocolate factory felt suspiciously like a date, Hannibal had been the perfect gentleman all day and seemed to make a point of making eye contact every time he took something into his mouth. It was torture, but Will was also hopeful.

He also was giving as good as he got, delicately picking up a chocolate covered cherry and placing it on his tongue, all the while looking at Hannibal. It pleased him to see that his cannibal appeared to be just as affected as he was, eyes dark as the blackest night, staring at Will like a starving man would stare at a steak.

Will hummed around the cherry, savouring the flavour and the moment shared between them. Everything in this factory was delicious, but it was missing the little kick that Hannibal’s chocolate had. The little kick in flavour that came from his — _their_ — victims.

“I see you’re enjoying yourself,” Hannibal remarked.

Will opened his eyes, not having realised they had closed in the first place, and smiled mischievously. “I am.” He paused, another piece of chocolate halfway to his mouth, and glanced sideways at Hannibal, “The company is rather pleasant as well.”

He caught the chocolate between his teeth and Hannibal’s eyes followed it hungrily. Will very deliberately licked his fingers and watched Hannibal tracking the movement.

Will decided they’d waited enough. “These are delicious. Want a taste?”

“Yes,” came the almost breathless reply.

Will gingerly picked up a piece and brought it to Hannibal’s mouth, watching enraptured as soft lips wrapped around it and brushed lightly against his fingers. Hannibal savoured the taste without breaking eye contact and Will thought about what a goner he was for this terrible man.

“Delectable,” Hannibal said, still staring into Will’s eyes, although he briefly glanced down at his mouth, licking his lips. “I’d like to taste something else as well, if you don’t mind?”

Will swallowed thickly and breathed, “Go ahead.”

They leaned in slowly, simultaneously, and met in the middle, lips tasting of chocolate. Hannibal’s hand found the back of Will’s head and Will placed his own palm on Hannibal’s cheek. The kiss was soft and sweet, full of emotion and promises, but with an underlying dark taste of desire. They held each other close, wrapped up in their own little universe as people walked past and looked away politely. This kiss was only the beginning, a representation of two monsters finding a home in each other, a dark promise of forever. No more lies, no more secrets, no more hesitation. Now, they were one.

No more fighting the inevitable.

After all, loving him was the sweetest surrender.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey if you got this far, that probably means you didn't hate the ride! Please be so kind and click the kudos button and maybe leave a comment if you're not in a hurry? It doesn't have to be much, but it means the world to an author! Have a nice day <3


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